Even better weather, with slightly warmer temps and a near cloudless sky. I stayed in the lower area today, and it paid off, with a small rush of warblers that turned into a larger flight and brought in some interesting birds in good light.
Later, I did the usual insect tour.

Great Blue Herons seem to like this perch.

Magnolia Warblers remain the dominant warbler.

Scarlet Tanagers are still passing through.

White Eyed Vireos don’t often pose this well.

I haven’t seen many Tennessee Warblers.

Dozens of Blue Jays were migrating overhead.

Yellow Billed Cuckoos are posing often this week.

Downy Woodpeckers are common, but attractive.

The Bay Breasted Warbler is another rare bird for me.

Blackburnian Warbler

Today’s bugs.

The marvellous weather continued today. I arrived at the lake around sunrise, but it was almost a total bust. I quickly moved to the lower field, and it was the right place to be. Warblers were in every area, though not in large numbers. Magnolias continue to dominate.
I made a quick round to find some bugs, and a scary looking spider stole the show.

Carolina Wrens were very active today.

Catbirds are still present in every area.

Flycatchers are also easy to find.

Magnolia Warblers are still passing through in sizeable flocks.

Red Bellied Woodpeckers are fun to watch.

This first year Blackburnian Warbler was being chased by a Magnolia Warbler.

I tried to get a better angle on this Broad Winged Hawk , but I scared him off.

This is one of the biggest, baddest spiders I’ve ever seen. Yellow Garden Spider

Large Milkweed Bug

Today’s bugs.

The weather was near perfect again with morning temps in the 60s and quickly warming. No morning flight materialized at the lake, but I found a few warblers in a small area near the field. I’m hoping the next few weeks will improve my migrant count.
Graeme gave me some hints on getting sharper images, so I harassed a few more bugs with somewhat better results.

A small flock of Magnolia Warblers entertained me for several minutes.

Red Eyed Vireos will be leaving soon.

I was lucky to get any image at all of this Rose Breasted Grosbeak in the dawn light.

Nursery Web Spider

Locust Borer

Today’s bugs.

The weatherman predicted sunny, but it was quite cloudy early, and in the low 60s. I got to Governor Bridge i time for the sunrise flight of migrants at the lake, but it was a short lived event with only a few varieties. I spent some time looking elsewhere, but it just wasn’t my day.
I did find a couple of new bugs, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Flycatchers are still easy to find.

This Goldfinch will changing into his Winter colors soon.

This Northern Parula was one of the few migrants willing to pose.

A Tennessee Warbler is always a nice find.

Nursery Web Spider

Today’s Bugs.

The weatherman promised rain, and e delivered. Still, I got out for a couple of hours to see what I could find. A few warblers were feeding deep in the bush, but only a Redstart would pose.
My TC-200 teleconverter arrived today, so I went out after the rain to see what bugs I could find in the ‘hood.

Like all American Redstarts, this one moved rapidly through the trees.

This Brown Thrasher appeared as was fleeing the rain.

This Cardinal found a nice stash of berries.

Downy Woodpeckers are easier to find as the leaves fall.

I heard many Carolina Wrens this morning.

I can get much larger images with more detail by using my teleconverter.

It was a cool morning with sunshine promised, so I put on a heavy shirt before leaving. I was determined to try the lake area this morning, but it was a disappointment. Birds were scarce everywhere, so I tried yet another area, where I got a little more cooperation.
I only had a short time for bug hunting, but I found a few good ones.

This Brown Thrasher posed well, unlike many.

This Common Yellowthroat landed right in front of me.

This Flycatcher may be an Eastern Phoebe.

This Northern Parula was one of the few warblers I found.

Yellow Billed Cuckoos are often elusive, so I was glad to see this one linger awhile.

Locust Borer

Today’s Bugs.

Much better weather than yesterday. It was a little cool, but warmed rapidly, and the birds responded accordingly.
There was a lot of activity early, and I suspect I missed some good warblers, but that’s the name of the game some days. Many were distant and hard to photograph, but I’ll take a lot of birds over a few any day.
Later, Graeme showed me some more about photographing insects.

Red Eyed Vireos are still feeding in large numbers.

The experts say all the American Redstarts I’m seeing are probably first year birds.

Magnolia Warblers seem to be migrating in large numbers.

I wasn’t sure of the ID of this Tennessee Warbler.

Chestnut Sided Warblers are readily seen also.

Black and White Warblers are often found foraging deep in the tree branches.

Assassin Bug nymphAssassin Bug Nymph

Question Mark

Today’s bugs.

It was an ugly morning, but the weatherman predicted sunny, so I set out early looking for migrants blown our way during last night’s storm. The Sun didn’t materialize until much later, so bird activity was very muted. What birds I did see were poorly lighted, but there was plenty of variety even if I didn’t see them all.
I found some bugs after the Sun came out, including a cool grasshopper.

Early on, I found a tree just loaded with American Redstarts

Black and White Warblers weren’t hard to find.

Magnolia Warblers are still passing through.

This Red Eyed Vireo posed in decent light.

Handsome Meadow KatydidHandsome Meadow Katydid

I decided to vary my routine a bit, and headed to Wooton. It was a bit disappointing except for a vireo, so I headed to Sands Point Park, just a mile or so away and spent some time looking for birds. I did see a grosbeak, and an intriguing warbler who wouldn’t pose, but it was pretty dead also, so I switched to bugs.
The Giant Swallowtail was a real surprise, and I found a few more I hadn’t seen before.

This White Eyed Vireo was unusually cooperative.

A flock of 3-4 Blue Grosbeaks was foraging in the field.

This Goldfinch was one of the few birds who would pose.

These

These Giant Swallowtail Butterflies have to be seen to be believed. They’re not rare, but I’ve ever seen one before. The book says they’re 4″-6″ wide.

Today’s bugs.